A new transfer (6 Jun 15)

A new mission president and companion all in the same week plus a whole new teaching pool. Exciting stuff in Spain. Enjoy.

Begin forwarded message:

From: SHAUNA KNOWLES <sktaxes@msn.com>
Date: July 6, 2015 at 10:42:25 PM MDT
To: <msaaknowles@msn.com>
Subject: FW: A new transfer!

> From: alyssa.knowles@myldsmail.net
> Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2015 17:17:10 +0200
> Subject: A new transfer!
> To: sktaxes@msn.com
>
> I think this was the fastest transfer I've had. I have no idea how six
> weeks have already passed by! Nuts.
>
> It was a bit of a roller coaster week haha. Lots of ups and downs. I
> guess that's how the mission goes! But even through the downs, it's so
> good! And I'm so happy! It's weird. Haha
>
> Well anyways, here's for another weekly summary.
>
> Monday I already wrote about our bomb pday in the pueblo Arcos. Then
> there was a farewell party at the church for a member who was left
> this week for his mission in Argentina. It was so weird to think about
> how I felt during that whole beginning part. It's crazy to see how far
> I have come and how different things are!
>
> Tuesday we visited with some of my favorite people, and we also got
> two great news! They are Bolivian and family of our recent convert.
> They've listened to missionaries but it's been hard to get in contact
> with them, but we finally were able to! And they are golden! One of
> their sons comes to church all the time with his cousin, and wants to
> get baptized. Ahh miracles!
>
> Wednesday we found another new investigator, as we were searching for
> this potential investigator we contacted a while ago. The thing about
> this potential is that she had just moved here, but didn't remember
> her address, but just knew the street name. And she was golden! So we
> kinda feel like detectives because we go and try to find her and
> everytime we get clues and get closer to actually finding her haha.
> But anyways, this led us to this lady named Flor who is from the
> Dominican Republic. And she invited us right in! She as well had
> listened to the missionaries but lost contact because she moved. She
> is also golden!! She is searching for the truth, and loves learning
> more! She goes to a new church every few weeks, searching for one she
> likes. I know the Lord guided us to her on that day! There was no way
> that was just chance.
> Also this day, we had a dinner cita with a male member, that we set up
> weeks ago so we could make sure we had another woman to come with us
> (part of the mission rules.) well, last minute this girl bailed on us,
> so we are frantically calling people to see if they can come, but no
> one was answering/able to. and well with permission from the
> assistants to president, we could have had the elders come with us to
> eat. Which they normally have given. But when we called, they said
> no.. Haha so long story short. The elders stole our eating cita and
> ended up eating with him, and the APs gave us a challenge that if we
> talked to 45 people, we would see 2 miracles. And well, we talked to
> 47, got rejected by 44 of them, and are still waiting to see our
> miracles. Hahaha. I'm sure there's something to learn from this. But
> it did make it easier to talk to anyone and everyone! And we had some
> interesting conversations, like this guy who cursed us. Good times.
>
> Thursday.. We both were deathly sick, and hermana read couldn't even
> get out of bed. I actually started getting sick Monday night, and it
> kept getting worse. I just had a cold, but hermana read had that plus
> maybe the flu! We don't know. But we spent all day in piso, and we are
> still trying to recover!
>
> Friday we left early to go to Sevilla for a tri-zone conference to
> meet our new mission president! So we got to meet and get to know
> President and Hermana Anderson! They are awesome! They're from Idaho
> (Wooho Idaho!) and love snowmobiling, and all things outdoorsy, have 7
> kids, six of which are married and the youngest just got back from his
> mission. I'm super excited to have them here! Love them already, and I
> know they love us and that they are the ones who need to be here to
> help and guide us:)
>
> Saturday, we had a Fourth of July party in Puerto de Santa Maria with
> the missionaries from Jerez and from there. It was super fun! We made
> hot dogs and hamburgers, and the senior couple that are there brought
> us some root beer and dr pepper from the American base. We were a
> happy group of missionaries.
>
> Yesterday, we added two new investigators José and martín, the sons of
> the two women we added on Tuesday. I'm so excited for them! It really
> amazes me to know that Yes, there are people who are prepared! There
> are people who truly want to listen and are searching for the truth.
> The Lord is preparing these people, and he just leads us to them. I
> know this work is not something that we do alone. We are simply the
> instruments of the Lord. But how great is it to see and be part of
> these miracles? I love the mission!!
>
> And today, we went with our district and the puerto district to play
> air soft!! It was sick! And really really hot. And I've got some nice.
> Bruises now:)
>
> Oh, I forgot to mention. My comp is finishing her mission this week!
> I'm so grateful to have had her as my companion. She was such a great
> example and one of my best friends!
> Anddddd.. My new comp is going to be Hermana Hurtado! She's from Peru
> and is absolutely great! She's my sister in the mission (my trainer
> trained her as well, right before I got here!) I'm stoked!
>
> Lately, I'm been working really hard on being more charitable.
> Sometimes I get frustrated with people or I'm impatient, but I
> rediscovered the verse in the 1 Corinthians 13, that says charity
> never faileth. That is completely true. And have being trying to apply
> that, whether it be with certain elders who make me frustrated, or
> investigators that aren't progressing, that applies to everything.
> I've been trying to not react in ways I would have reacted before.
> It's a long process to change and become better, but I'm progressing:)
> Charity never faileth.
>
> Well that's all. It's been a great week, and I'm so happy to be here.
> I know I'm where at and with who I am with for a specific reason. I
> know there are certain things I am supposed to learn and people I am
> supposed to meet. It's all for a reason!
>
> Well, les quiero mucho! Gracias por su amor y por sus oraciones. Que
> tengan una buena semana!
>
> Con amor,
> Hermana Knowles
>
> 1 Corinthians 13:8
>